Newcomer Larson leads incumbent Shaw in Henderson City Council race

For the first time in nearly three decades, a Henderson City Council incumbent could be voted out.

Newcomer Dr. Monica Larson was leading in a race for the Henderson City Council Ward 2 seat, with 56.1 percent compared to City Councilman Dan Shaw’s 43.9 percent, according to results released Wednesday morning.

If Shaw loses the race, it would be the first time in 29 years that an incumbent did not win their re-election bid to Henderson City Council, former Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen said. In 1995, incumbent Councilman Larry Scheffler lost his re-election bid, Hafen said.

“The voters, they wanted change and they voted for it.” Larson said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal Tuesday evening. “I am eternally grateful because I am ready to bring change.”

In a statement on his campaign website, Shaw said that it has been “my pleasure and honor to serve with and for you over the past forty years.”

“I will complete my term over the next two months and remain in our community to ensure that Henderson remains a place to call home,” the statement said.

Shaw has been named as a defendant in multiple lawsuits, alleging that his company, Green Arrow, gave out predatory loans, the Review-Journal previously reported.

An Illinois lawsuit, filed in July, alleged that Green Arrow charged interest rates over 700 percent while representing his firm as a tribal lender to avoid liability.

Shaw’s campaign communications director, Elizabeth Trosper, told the Review-Journal in July that Green Arrow only services the loans of other companies and that Shaw doesn’t set any terms or interest rates of those loans.

Shaw campaigned on attracting more manufacturing companies, building affordable housing, and public safety. Shaw told the Review-Journal that the city hired 70 new police officers in the past three years.

Larson campaigned on transparency, giving more dollars to public safety departments and pushing for more single-family housing.

Ward 2 includes parts of west Henderson, Anthem and Inspirada.

Shaw was appointed in 2017 by the City Council to serve out the remainder of Ward 2 Councilwoman Debra March’s term after March was elected Henderson mayor. Shaw was then elected to the seat in 2019, when he won 82.9 percent of the vote.

In addition to his city council responsibilities, Shaw is the president and CEO of various companies, where he led the development and construction of shopping centers, apartments and office buildings.

Contact Annie Vong at avong@reviewjournal.com. Follow @annievwrites on X.